Immigration – Britons top priority

New data from YouGov’s regular Eurotrack survey highlights how people in Britain and key EU nations have conflicting priorities for the Brexit negotiations.

Asked to choose up to three priorities for Brexit from a list of eight, Britons’ number one priority is “allowing Britain to control immigration from the EU” (41%). In second place is ensuring continued co-operation with the EU on counter-terrorism (38%), while in joint third are two trade concerns: ensuring tariff-free trade with the EU and allowing Britain to make its own trade deals with countries outside the EU (both 36%).

By contrast, the number one concern of the public in both France and Germany is ensuring that the UK pays what it owes upon leaving the EU (at 40% and 45% respectively). Counter-terrorism is the second most-pressing priority for both (39% in France, 41% in Germany), while ensuring that the UK does not get the rights of EU membership without being a member came third (on 39% and 37% respectively.